The soldiers were ambushed in a country area near othe town of Omerli in Mardin province.

Separately, a fourth officer wounded in clashes with rebels on Friday succumbed to his wounds in hospital, in a military hospital in Ankara, the army announced on its website on Sunday.

He had been wounded during clashes with rebels in Semdinli, near the border with Iraq and Iran, said the army statement Sunday.

Clashes between security forces and militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have surged since June 12 elections.

On June 16, 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush with PKK rebels in Diyarbakir province, the worst loss of life for the army since October 2008.

Turkey has since sent special police units to reinforce security in combat zones.

The PKK, listed by a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, took up arms in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives.